Fence engaging device



May 18, 1965 E. L. MORGAN FENCE ENGAGING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1962 INVENTOR. ELDON L. MORGAN BY 1% ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,184,198 FENCE ENGAGING DEVICE Eldon L. Morgan, 411 W. 70th St. Terrace, Kansas City 13, Mo. Filed Oct. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 231,777 4 Claims. (Cl. 248223) The present invention relates generally to a device for securing articles to a wire link fence. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device which solidly engages a wire link fence to provide support for articles which are to be mounted or displayed on such a fence.

Prior to the present invention a large amount of wire link fence has been sold and installed around residential property and around public and private institutions. Normally, all of these fenced areas except for the appearance of the fences are quite attractive by virtue of lush lawns and an abundance of flowers and shrubbery. Such wire link fences have been decorated by planting vines and plants such as rose bushes in the ground at the foot of such fences. Such plantings have been found to be quite attractive but often it is desired to have additional or a variation in the decoration of such fences. The linking of the fence wires and the fact that the fence wires generally extend at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees from the vertical have been factors in no simple device for attachment to a wire link fence being available prior to the present invention. Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple device which will readily attach to a wire link fence.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which readily attaches to a wire link fence to provide a relatively stable support. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device which will readily engage a wire link fence and which will also readily disengage from the wire link fence. A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for simple engagement with and disengagement from a wire link fence which provides a stable support for an article which is to be mounted on the fence. A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device which readily engages and disengages a wire link fence and which has an integral support element.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the present invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a general view of the device of the present invention in engagement with a wire link fence with a small portion of the wire lines of the fence being shown to illustrate the engagement of the device with the fence.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the relationship between the wire engaging surfaces of the device of the present invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

Device 1 of the present invention engages a wire link fence 2 as best shown in FIG. 1. Device 1 comprises base portion 3 from which arcuate arms 4 and 5 extend. Arcuate arms 4 and 5 are to receive a flower pot or other cylindrical or frusto-conical device which is desired to be mounted on a wire link fence. Arms 4 and 5 would surround the lower portion of a flower pot and engage the shoulder thereof to provide support for the flower pot.

Base portion 3 is provided with wire engaging surfaces 6 and 7. Neck 8 extends upwardly to the rear of base portion 3 between wire engaging surfaces 6 and 7. Arm 9 extends from neck 8 forwardly over base portion 3. Arm 9 should extend to a point a substantial distance beyond wire engaging surface 7 to provide sufficient engagement of the fence wire to assure that arm 9 does not become disengaged from the fence wire once it is engaged.

Wire engaging surface 6 is positioned farther from 3,134,193 Patented May 18, 1965 ice wire engaging surface 10 on neck 8 than is wire engaging surface '7. Wire engaging surfaces 6 and 7 are generally parallel to wire engaging surface 19. Wire engaging surface 7 is spaced slightly from wire engaging surface 10 to accommodate the thickness and slight bend in the fence wire. The spacing of wire engaging surface 6 from wire engaging surface 10 is to accommodate the part of the fence wire which loops outwardly toward arcuate arms 4- and 5.

With the configuration illustrated, device 1 may be installed from either side of the fence and provide a stable and adequate support for a flower pot or other article which is to be mounted on the fence. In the event that the fence links are the reverse of those shown in FIG. 1 then the spacing of wire engaging surfaces 6 and 7 should be reversed. Lower surface 11 of arm 9 is slightly bevelcd upwardly to the right as shown in FIG. 1 to accommodate the bend in the fence wire and thereby provide firm engagement of device 1 with fence 2.

From the foregoing it can be seen that device 1 is relatively simple and can be readily positioned on a wire link fence. To position device 1 on a fence it is only necessary to insert arm 9 and neck 8 through the opening in fence 2. To accomplish this positioning of device 1 on fence 2 it will have to be tilted so that arcuate arms 4 and 5 extend upwardly at an angle. When arm 9 is in position extending forward through the second opening in the fence then arcuate arms 4 and 5 can be moved to approximately a horizontal position. In so leveling device 1 wire engaging surfaces 6, '7 and 10 will all come into engagement with the wire in fence 2 and device 1 will be positioned securely on fence 2 ready to receive any device or article which is to be supported on fence 2.

In addition to supporting flower pots on a wire link fence the device of the present invention may be used to support other decorative articles on a fence or to support such devices as exterior lighting, shelving, flower boxes, clothes racks or other rack devices such as towel racks for swimming pools, charcoal grills and any other type of device which may be found advantageous to mount on a wire link fence. As previously mentioned arcuate arms 4 and 5 are designed to receive and support an article such as a flower pot but any departure from the design of the supporting means may be made for the support of other articles without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

It can readily be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a device which will readily provide support to a wire link fence for any article which is desired to be mounted thereon. The device readily engages a wire link fence securely and also is readily disengaged from the wire link fence to which it has been attached.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fence engaging device adapted to engage and be supported by the wire link fence having intertwined wires forming diamond shaped openings comprising,

a base portion,

a first wire engaging surface on said base portion,

a second wire engaging surface on said base portion,

said first wire engaging surface being out of alignment with said second wire engaging surface,

a neck integral with said base portion positioned between and rearward of said wire engaging surfaces and extending upwardly from said base portion, and

an arm extending forwardly from said neck,

said arm extending to a position forward of said Wire engaging surfaces.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein,

the forward portion of said neck provides a wire engaging surface.

. a I d d J 3. A device according to claim 1 wherein, 7 2,791,392 5/57 Black 248 -312X the lower surface of said arm is Sloped downwardly to 013 93 1 2 F ll 211 86 the side of the forwardrnost of said'wire engaging 3 127144 3/64 Warner 248 216 surface. n 4. A device according to claim 1 including, 5 V FOREIGN PATENTS supporting means integral with said base portion. 7 a 774 382 557 Great Britain References Cited by the Examiner UN STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

2,538,958 1/51 Augenfeld 211114 10 FRANK LiABBOTI, Examiner. 

1. A FENCE ENGAGING DEVICE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND BE SUPPORTED BY THE WIRE LINK FENCE HAVING INTERTWINED WIRES FORMING DIAMOND SHAPED OPENINGS COMPRISING, A BASE PORTION, A FIRST WIRE ENGAGING SURFAACE ON SAID BASE PORTION, A SECOND WIRE ENGAGING SURFACE ON SAID BASE PORTION, SAID FIRST WIRE ENGAGING SURFACE BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SECOND WIRE ENGAGING SURFACE, A NECK INTEGRAL WITH SAID BASE PORTION POSITIONED BETWEEN AND REARWARD OF SAID WIRE ENGAGING SURFACES AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE PORTION, AND AN ARM EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID NECK, SAID ARM EXTENDING TO A POSITION FORWARD OF SAID WIRE ENGAGING SURFACES. 